Brian Sokolowski grew up in a grew up in a lower socioeconomic-status neighborhood of Chicago. He was surrounded by people who were struggling, who were alone, who were fighting to get out and find some kind of validity and respect for their place in the city and in the world. He feels this background has made him a more compassionate photographer today.

Brian is drawn to, and tries to capture, the quiet moments in a robust, bustling city. Street photography has been a vehicle to express how he views the world, a visual extension of how he feels. He tries to take pictures of people exactly how he sees them. For Brian it is not so much about aesthetics, as it is about emotion; it is a simple need for connection with his subjects, and with his viewers. And if he occasionally attains that connection, it makes it all worth it. That’s the reason he continues to take pictures.